# Chapter XXXVIII explained — The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman > Chapter companion for The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne. ## What happens The narrator laments the perplexities of authorship, juggling the completion of Slawkenbergius's folio, a dialogue between his father and Uncle Toby, and a translation from Slawkenbergius. He recounts a dispute among scholars Prignitz, Scroderus, and Ambrose Paræus over whether the nose begets the fancy or vice versa, which Paræus resolves by attributing nose length to the softness of the nurse's breast. This upsets family harmony for three days. The narrator also mentions a cow breaking into Uncle Toby's fortifications, leading to calls for a court-martial and execution of the cow, and reflects on Slawkenbergius's grand work on noses. ## Themes in this chapter ### The Absurdity of Systems The chapter satirizes scholarly systems and debates about noses, with Prignitz, Scroderus, and Paræus each offering contradictory theories, ultimately overthrown by a simple physiological explanation. ### Digression and Narrative Form The narrator digresses extensively into the nose controversy, Slawkenbergius's work, and domestic mishaps, while lamenting the lack of time to complete his promised tasks. ### Obsession and Hobbyhorses Walter Shandy's obsession with nose theories and the scholarly fixation on the topic exemplify the hobbyhorse motif. ## Character check-ins ### Tristram Shandy Narrator, overwhelmed by authorial tasks and reflecting on his own nose-related misfortunes. ### Walter Shandy Lying across his bed, embroiled in the nose controversy and family dispute. ### Uncle Toby Sitting in his old fringed chair beside Walter, unaffected by the family turmoil. ### Corporal Trim Insists on being tried by court-martial after the cow incident. ### Dr. Slop Mentioned as being threatened with crucifixion. ### Mrs. Shandy Implied in the dispute with Walter over Paræus's hypothesis. ## Key lines > I have left my father lying across his bed, and my uncle Toby in his old fringed chair, sitting beside him, and promised I would go back to them in half an hour; and five-and-thirty minutes are laps'd already. The narrator has abandoned his father and uncle Toby, promising to return in thirty minutes, but thirty-five have already passed. _Highlights the narrator's digressive nature and time management struggles._ > That the length and goodness of the nose was owing simply to the softness and flaccidity in the nurse's breast. Ambrose Paræus concluded that a long, good nose results from the softness of the nurse's breast. _Summarizes Paræus's theory that resolves the scholarly debate._ > A cow broke in (tomorrow morning) to my uncle Toby's fortifications, and eat up two rations and a half of dried grass, tearing up the sods with it, which faced his horn-work and covered way. A cow will enter Uncle Toby's fortifications tomorrow morning and consume his grass and damage his earthworks. _Introduces a domestic mishap that triggers calls for a court-martial._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/xxxviii - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tristram_shandy_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters